I made it to the prairie! A very windy trip indeed, but I am getting the hang of it.
We have had a productive few days…
…doing puzzles, taking walks…
…organizing the girls’ room which they are are now sharing with our antique twin beds…
Good times.
Today we have another day together with plans for more organizing fun. The weather has been great, but it will probably rain when I head home tomorrow. C’est la vie.
Embrace the simple pleasures in your life and be grateful for them. The blue sky, smart kids, good food, God’s beautiful creation, encouraging friends, faithful family.
Everything is greening up nicely in flyover country. I am heading up to the prairie for a few days today for some hang-out time with the girls and the prairie prince. The speedwagon is loaded up and raring to go. But first I have to vote for city council members and school board members. It is my civic duty!
And this is one of the greatest things I’ve seen in a long time:
Who knew Bluegrass was a thing in Japan?!
Look up! Pray for the day ahead. Pray that you might bring glory to God, in thought, word and deed. Thank God that his mercies are new every morning. Thank God that his grace is sufficient for all situations that you may encounter.
I hope you had a wonderful Easter weekend. Mine was lovely. I went to the Friday night Good Friday service at church which was appropriately solemn. On Saturday daughter #1 and I finished watching Ben Hur (1959) which never disappoints.
(With a wineglass and a Westie in hand)
On Sunday I went to church with the boy and the twins, plus daughter #3 and her mother who is in town. It was nice to hear her Mom comment on how bright and sunny our church is, how the music is not all doom and gloom and no one looked askance or batted an eye at the children in the pews acting like children. Well, yes.
After church we all went over to the boy’s house where we ate a lovely brunch, drank Mimosas and then sat around talking. What could be better? Not much. I didn’t take any actual pictures, but you get the picture.
Meanwhile on the prairie daughter #2 and her famille celebrated in like fashion.
…in vintage smocked dresses of course.
There were Easter egg hunts on both ends…
Good times.
Sorry to hear that the Illini lost to UConn, but c’est la vie. And, hey, it’s lacrosse season!
It is the culmination of Holy Week. Good Friday and on to Easter!
But tomorrow is also my father’s birthday.
Amazing to think he was born 104 years ago! He died in his seventieth year and as I am turning 70 in a few weeks, I am feeling reflective.
The older I get, the more I think I am like him and less like my precious mother. We have the same curiosity about certain things, but lack the genius that my siblings inherited from our mother. We have the same weaknesses and insecurities. We are introverts. I find myself driving to the P.O. just to get out of the house like he did. He was a bad example to me in many ways and that has helped me avoid some pitfalls. But then, I never took part in WWII, nor did I have to support a family. I have no idea whether he was a Believer. Is he in heaven? Is he in hell? I cannot say. He never went to church with us, although he was a card-carrying Episcopalian his whole life. But we know that frequently means nothing. He is, in the final analysis, a mystery to me.
I hope I am not a complete mystery to my children. I mean, you never know everything about a person. We all have our secrets. But I think they know me pretty well. And if they have a question, they can ask. Only God knows our true heart. There is no escaping Him.
I went to our Maundy Thursday service last night and it was wonderful. I held it together until two soloists sang this song during communion:
We had our high school cellist accompanying them as well. And here’s a hymn for Good Friday:
Anyway, have a blessed Easter. I pray that all those who go to a service on Sunday for the first time this year will want to return before next Christmas.
We have known him for quite a few years now and we love him a lot. I won the lottery with both my daughter- and son-in-law and I am eternally grateful. We won’t be able to celebrate together for a couple of weeks, but he knows I will be thinking of him today.
Spring is officially here–how did that happen? The year is zooming by per usual. I moved some of my plants into the Florida Room over the weekend. Some of them have gotten really big! I exhausted myself.
I got through my hospital visits and a list of other pressing to-do list items. The terrible week ended and I survived. Also, the twins came over to spend the night and we all survived that. I didn’t sleep much, but c’est la vie. We went through some boxes full of their Dad’s old stuff and that is always fascinating to them. Our Dad had baseball cards?! We found some cool matchbox cars for the bud to take home and some 30-year old candy which we threw away. I got permission to throw away some old Lego kit boxes (empty). I am making progress.
The bud was up to his old tricks…
Those bags of Beanie Babies never cease to amuse.
On Saturday I caught up on things at home and then daughter #1 came over and helped with some lingering computer issues. Then we went to Glen Echo and sat on the patio and drank a bottle of wine. (I deserved it.)
At church we heard a sermon on the “Crumbly Bread Covenant” in Joshua 9:1-27–rich ground for reflection on the nature of truth, discernment, and the dangers of falling prey to deception. We sang good hymns. Our adult ed class continued on the Westminster Catechism–#s 39-82, basically breaking down the 10 Commandments. The boy and twins came over to my house after church and Sunday School and we had bagels and fruit salad. I enjoyed our mealtime conversation about Calvinist doctrine and the fact that God is both a just God and a merciful God, but that we all deserve his wrath.
Then we sat outside for awhile…
…but they were very disappointed because the Raptor wasn’t sufficiently charged for them to drive. They fooled around with some old favorites, but…
Heavy sigh. Well, hopefully the next time they come over I’ll be better prepared. We went inside and they spent an eventful hour playing with Lego while I talked to the boy.
Well, I am sorry to see old Chuck Norris go, but the memes and tweets have been (not surprisingly) hilarious.
The sun was out yesterday–so big win! I went to Hobby Lobby and bought several craft kits to do with the twins when they spend the night tonight. We will probably watch a movie–maybe How the West Was Won (1962) if they haven’t seen it yet.
This is one of the best opening credit sequences of all time!
This is a about the other book that shaped America (next to the Bible). If you haven’t read it recently, I suggest you do. It is wonderful.
“This hill, though high, I covet to ascend; The difficulty will not me offend. For I perceive the way to life lies here. Come, pluck up, heart; let’s neither faint nor fear. Better, though difficult, the right way to go, Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe.”
Today is going to be a very busy, stressful day, as is tomorrow. But what ho, it is the bell and it tolleth for me. Have a good one–watch an old movie, read an old book, let’s neither faint nor fear.
Well, we’ve had a cold snap and all the daffodils are bent over and sad and I had a digital nightmare explosion on Monday so I have been clawing my way back from that. Ugh. The worst. I tell myself I am done with the internet, but there is no escaping it. So we soldier on.
Meanwhile the twins and the prairie girls are enjoying spring break (remember that?).
Life barrels on like a runaway train.
I am content.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)
How was your weekend? Mine was springlike until it was not. The magnolia trees are in full bloom and everyone is worried that the cold snap will kill/damage everything. But this literally happens every year. At least it didn’t snow as initially predicted! (But we did have a tornado watch!)
Daughter #1 came over on Friday afternoon and set up my new printer for me. I am good to go after months of frustration with my old printer. We celebrated with wine time and Chik-fil-a for dinner.
Our DAR meeting on Saturday was skillfully run, as usual, by daughter #1. We had a wonderful lecture by our friend Esley Hamilton about all the architectural jewels of St. Louis that were torn down before 1904.
For instance, this house–the “Cracker Castle”–built in 1868 for Jonathan Pierce who produced hardtack during the Civil War, was heavily damaged by a tornado in 1896 and as a result was demolished soon afterwards. It is sad that so little actually remains from the nineteenth century (although the above monstrosity was no great loss).
Saturday night I watched The Quiet Man (1952) in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.
Mr. Smith harumphed a bit at the Irish accents, but he still thought it was pretty great.
Sunday I went to church and heard a fine sermon on Joshua 8:1-35–I have really enjoyed Joshua. It seems very timely. Our final hymn was…
…and I cried…and my mascara ran.
Is this what William Cowper meant when he wrote:
Sometimes a light surprises The Christian while he sings; It is the Lord, who rises With healing in His wings: When comforts are declining, He grants the soul again A season of clear shining, to cheer it after rain.
I went to the Westminster Catechism class afterwards and it was terrific. We went through #22-38, led by a ruling elder (who is also an attorney). It all makes so much sense! I think I finally understand what effectual calling is!
Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel.
This morning I go in for my annual bone density exam, kicking off two weeks of doctor visits and tests. “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. 25 Brothers, pray for us.” (I Thess. 5:23-25)
dual personalities 